Antoine Griezmann

100m+ for a 28 year old who will occupy the same positions as barça's best player or just to play him out of his best position makes no sense.

Arizona Scott said:

Griezmann is also a heck of lot better in defense and workrate than any Barca forward (Messi, Suarez, Dembele, Coutinho). Good scorer, great passer, and defends terificly for an attacking player. If you ask me right now for one big match Messi-Griezmann-Suarez would be the best trident we could do. Of course if he is in I assume Coutinho is sold (fee and wages probably close to 1 to 1 trade) and then you have Dembele in the mix to rest Suarez (Griezmann as the #9) or Messi (Griezmann as a false 9). 4 extremely talented forwards, one old, one oldish, one in his prime, one young.

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For Simeone. Don't expect the same in Barça.

Alik said:

For Simeone. Don't expect the same in Barça.

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This. Just have to look at his star-attitude in the French national team. He acts lazy and walks around like Messi does. Barça needs a hungry player like Suárez was when he joined.

Not saying Griezmann isn't class but it was always 'last summer or never' and he chose never.

Mitchell1978 said:

100m+ for a 28 year old who will occupy the same positions as barça's best player or just to play him out of his best position makes no sense.

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Exactly. Plus he's overrated.

Mitchell1978 said:

100m+ for a 28 year old who will occupy the same positions as barça's best player or just to play him out of his best position makes no sense.

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Depends the alternatives. This isn't a "build your own player" endeavour.

Also consider most/all the funds (100+ mil funds for a 28 year old) will come from selling a 27 year old who is much less flexible in rounding out the attacking and defending roles within the team.

All things consider I think Jovic would be my top target, but he may not want to come and if the club thinks AG is a better fit I am cool with that. They have a lot more hits than misses in the transfer market, seem much improved than 3-10 years ago.

Theory: The club is not really convinced at some of the young striker options out there and feels that buying Griezmann and using him as a stop gap for Suarez will be better for now until better options down the road start to appear.

My main issue with that theory is Griezmann isn't a pure #9 in the vein of Suarez and to pay for that amount for him seems risky as it could backfire like the Coutinho signing.

xXKonan said:

My main issue with that theory is Griezmann isn't a pure #9 in the vein of Suarez and to pay for that amount for him seems risky as it could backfire like the Coutinho signing.

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The way i look at it would AG in and PC put likely make the team better? I would say yes because i think whether it is messi and suarez + AG or Messi and dembele + AG or even occasional rest for messi (suarez, dembele + AG) are those combinations better all around (offensively and defensively) than subbing PC in AGs place in those lineups--i think in every case yes.

Finally if AG comes here it is to be at most the #2 guy and the purpose is club trophies not individual achievements.

if Griezmann joins he MUST play at ST and Suarez needs to accept the bench role. none of this bullshit benching Dembele to shoe horn him in a front 3 with Luis and Leo (which i can totally see happening under EV)

selling Coutinho and buying Griezmann would be a great move.

its a plus for me also that he gets under oppo fans skin

Leave him where he's at, that's where he wanted to stay

He made us look like idiots last year, thats the player you want?
I say to hell with him.

Even though i'm still against him coming for various reasons, the one big reason for him to come is to add another Frenchman into our attack to replace Suarez, who is actively ignoring Dembele on the pitch every chance he gets, and is even leading Messi to do the same.

This would be for the good of our future, which Dembele is massive part of, hopefully. But with EV here Griezmann coming creates the risk of not Suarez getting benched, but Dembele, which would be a disaster of biblical proportions and which we must avoid at all costs. So I'm really undecided about this for now, we'll just have to wait and see. I can't imagine the club officials, seeing Suarez can't play 2 full games per week anymore and still stay world class, actually think that Suarez could remain our #1 striker for much longer, at least I hope not. If Griezmann comes, Coutinho can't play on the wing anymore, must be moved to midfield, while Suarez and Griezmann would need to get the Coutinho/Dembele treatment, each playing 1 full game per week, with one subbing in for the other after 60 minutes each game. But I really don't see EV being ballsy enough to implement that, sadly. While Dembele and Malcom would fight for that 3rd spot in attack and divide their minutes in the same manner. Suarez and Griezmann could still play together when Messi gets rested (change it to 4-4-2 perhaps and give Coutinho that free role cutting inside from LM to really make him shine when Messi is not there).

4/5 on to join us this summer

Messi-Suarez-Griezmann

In big matches, it should be Dembele - 🐐-Griezmann

You hope, don't you